BADCP - GPOW Tribute

Virtue Signals

DATE:
25 YEARS AGO

GPOW 25TH
A N N I V E R S A R Y



PLAYSTATION 4	BAD	STREET FIGHTER V


			Alas, Capcom would add SFIII characters, though, in sound reason. It officially put SFV between SFII and SFIII, accounting for canon that many thought Capcom would fill in. Some wondered out Capcom would do it, and it's safe to say they did well through many a clever means. Although most of SFIII's cast isn't nearly as inspired or cool as SFA's, it allowed for dream matches never before seen in the series. Over the years, SFII, SFA, and SFIII were all separate, chronological entries with little overlap, so match-ups between world powers like Urien and M. Bison answer questions many have had over the years. Which super-power would win? How would Urien fare against the almihty M. Bison? Or, vice-versa, could M. Bison even stand-up against the brother of Gill, who is depicted as a diety? SFV answers these questions both during the Story (canon) and Versus (non-canon) battlefields. It seems like this highly-demanded aspect of the game was largely-overlooked, though.

Taking full advantage of the Unreal Engine 4 and its networking capabilities, Capcom would deliver new characters for download and use. Capcom first experimented with this feature way back in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Saikyo Dojo for the DreamCast. The game featured the most modes ever in a Street Fighter title, one of which was a Network mode that supported the modem included as part of the DreamCast hardware. Covered by no magazines or websites of the time (that I know of), the mode allowed the player to download characters to battle against. It felt like I was the only person who ever used it. The characters weren't totally new character designs, however. They were super-powered versions of existing characters with obscene stats. There was a (slow) rotation for them, and I think the only ones I ever got to try (before they took them down) was Dhalsim and Zangief. They were an absolute nightmare to fight against, and I think I only ever beat each once or twice. it was still cool to download and experience something that wasn't normally part of the game, though. It had this sort-of feeling of exclusivity or rarity to it, and it still does today.

	41
	A RARE SIGHT
	A clothed Urien?! Pretty sure that suit was actually one of mine.

	42
	VEGAS LIGHTS
	A scene that perfectly embodies Las Vegas glamour.

	43
	BRILLIANCE
	Brilliant colors are part of every fighter's wardrobe.

	44
	EVEN
	Best friends sometimes have disagreements.

	45
	LIFE CHOICES
	At least it's easier than contemplating divorce.

Fast-forward to the present, where technology has progressed to the point of Capcom now being able to offer completely new characters for download. Surprisingly, they would still offer those super-powered characters in the form of Evil Ryu, Triggered Necalli, and others in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, but their focus would first offer new characters to the roster of Street Fighter V starting with Balrog, Guile, Juri, Alex, Urien, and Ibuki. The Shop mode from DreamCast fighters Marvel VS Capcom 2 and Capcom VS SNK made a return, allowing players to unlock characters in the order they desired. Just like in those games, SFV would use an in-game point system for currency in unlocking characters, colors, and stages through purchase. Originally called Zenny during Street Fighter V's infancy, the point system would also be used for titles (custom descriptors for your profile), and even costumes! In a telling and unfortunate move, Capcom quietly changed that point currency from "Zenny" to "Fight Money".

	46
	HARD CHOICES
	Deciding what character(s) to unlock is tough.

While it may seem trivial, it says a lot about the climate within Capcom at the time of its implementation. It reveals a sense of self-loathing. If this wasn't the start of Capcom's self-loathing phase observed all throughout the PlayStation 4/XBox One/Wii U generation, then it was definitely around this time because you'd have to really hate your own company to replace one of its historic icons of tradition. This is a sad state of affairs for any historical company to be in. You see, it's not just some random thing; Zenny go as far back as Capcom's own 16-Bit Forgotten Worlds, which they ended up still paying tribute to later (in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition) with a costume for Guile. Why did they do this? It was a truly baffling decision, and one that makes me hang my head in shame every time I see it. This seemingly-trivial change will mark a despressing point in the history of Capcom as a company.